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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26518858">The House Always Wins</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radicalhat/pseuds/Radicalhat'>Radicalhat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cuphead (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>...for now, Alcohol, Committed Relationship, Demons, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Future Relationship Issues, Gambling, Loving Marriage, M/M, No actual NSFW but rated M for sex references, OC X CANON, Romantic Soulmates, Self Ship Community, Smoking, self shipping</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:07:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26518858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radicalhat/pseuds/Radicalhat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Working at the Devil's Casino is one hell of a time once you get used to it. </p>
<p>Collection of connected stories about the Devil's Casino staff.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Goopy Le Grande/Original Character, Mr Wheezy (Cuphead)/Original Character(s), The Devil (Cuphead)/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The House Always Wins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Reaper ref sheet - https://f2.toyhou.se/file/f2-toyhou-se/images/26384565_mxcrgkP26ihnXxf.png</p>
<p>Millie (Belongs to @actualrodent) -<br/>https://64.media.tumblr.com/f104604e40d7589060ebae672c00a877/c38365ebd0f916c1-2f/s500x750/8a6a91e8208f7c27f97cf8ae1473c4ac3b3f821b.png</p>
<p>All 'object' characters are objectheads in this fic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nighttime had fallen on Inkwell Isle, calling in the cold quietness of the island in the fall. The isle in autumn was truly a beautiful time to stargaze or take a walk- the same as it was every year. The same as every year before that too. The consistency of the island may have been reliable but it was also incredibly boring. The island only had a few places for fun, which the residents were commonly seen at during the day. One of the main problems that most residents really felt the effect of was the laws of the island calling for a prohibition. The laws forbade the use of tobacco, alcohol and gambling- the favorite pastimes of many of the island residents. This pushed them towards more illegal means of doing these things. During the day people were often found near the docks, at the stage house, even at the carnival. When night fell, everything was different. Under the cover of darkness, most residents made their way over to the main place of interest- The Devil’s Casino.</p>
<p>	The casino was the big open secret of the island. Everyone knew the way to get there but would never tell anyone they didn’t trust anything about it. If you had asked the right person, however, they would point you in the direction of the railroad tracks. Near the tracks where the Phantom Express passed frequently was a rock tunnel smelling suspiciously of sulfur. Laying on the floor of the entrance was a red and gold velvet carpet with the words “Try Your Luck” etched into the ground before it. You couldn’t see too far in, having to go further if you wanted to see what was ahead.  As you made your way down the tunnel, it would keep getting darker and darker as you questioned whether or not this was a good idea. Just when you would start thinking about turning around, you would get overwhelmed with sudden very bright lights. </p>
<p>	The Devil’s Casino was truly the embodiment of pride. Adorning the outside was many many bright lights that would blind anyone after their journey through the dark cavern. On the top of the casino was a large statue of its owner, along with several chess pieces on either side of the monument. To the left was a large building with a crown on top, which you assumed most likely belonged to the man who owned this all. As you would walk towards the casino, the same velvet carpet as the entrance adorned the stairway. Ignoring the fact that this casino was clearly in the shallowest part of Hell, you would push open the gold double doors anyways.</p>
<p>	Upon entering, a small albino vulture, with a scribbled name tag potentially spelling out ‘Vinnie’, would walk over and offer to take your coat. He was well known as a change snatcher, constantly going through the pockets of any coats he was entrusted with. He took a drag on his cigarette as he hung them up, not caring about any ash that got on them. If one of the coats smelled at the end of the day the patron would most likely be drunk enough to not notice anyways. Vinnie always knew the amount he could always get away with, mumbling to himself how this was the only good part of the job.</p>
<p>	Vinnie was not the only staff at the casino to have some untrustworthy traits about them. Vinnie’s boyfriend, a living cigar man named Mr Wheezy, was commonly seen pressuring patrons into buying more tobacco. He took a lot of pride in this job. All he had to do was walk around the casino floor and offer cigars out of a nice box to the patron. The way he vaguely talked about it made it seem like it was complimentary. After it was lit, though, he would immediately start demanding payment. The price was 3 coins- the currency of Inkwell isle. He wouldn’t tell you they costed anything, of course. Instead he would make them seem free upon offering and start immediately badgering the customer right after it was lit for payment. Mr Wheezy was very persistent, always able to get a payment out of the unwilling customer one way or another. Usually it was just through repeatedly badgering them until they broke, but sometimes it would be based on intimidation. He was one of the taller and bulkier men in the casino, able to intimidate most patrons. On breaks, he would check on his boyfriend, always talking out of earshot with him. Vinnie could often be barely seen flashing a few coins at Wheezy as his boyfriend laughed, but they were subtle enough to never attract any attention. Before the two would get back to work, they would kiss each other very quickly before going on their way.</p>
<p>Further on in the casino was Chips Bettigan, the short man with the stack of poker chips for a head- most likely the only casino staff with meaningful intentions and a good heart. Everyone knew that the people who wokred in this casino were bound to the casino, originally sent to Hell for their sins and offered a way out by the boss. The offer was always “You can either surrender your soul to me, or you may work in my casino.” The seemed like a very easy choice, and most of the employees there had been there forever. No one truly knew what Chips had done to end up here, being friendly and even letting patrons win when no one else was looking. He did have some volume control issues and got very easily excited. This was endearing to most people, and a lot of them played his table just to hear his enthusiasm. What he did was every time someone was about to play their hand, he would let out a loud “ALRIGHT!” This always got a laugh out of the gamblers, enticing them to play more.</p>
<p>Out of the 12 employees of the casino, the man everyone knew was King Dice. Of course he was called King for a reason- he was truly the master of smooth talk, flirting and convincing patrons to spend just a little bit more, over and over, until they had nothing left. He was also amazing at sweet talking the gamblers into feeling no guilt about this, telling them that they would surely win next time, telling them how much he loved seeing them there. This tactic always worked. This was just to make sure they still came back, of course. If he could have avoided talking to the crowd here he would. He would have preferred to be the lounge singer rather than having to feign interest in whatever the patron was talking about. Only rarely did he ever have the time for that. That position was usually filled by his ex, Millie, who was truly an extraordinary singer. He would never say it, despite them having made up and become friendly with each other after a nasty breakup, but Millie was even better at singing than he was! It always made the night better when she would get on that stage and wow the whole casino- this was one of the only times it would get quiet, as everyone was entranced by her voice. Her shows were always attending by her blue boyfriend, Goopy Le Grande. You could tell by the look in his eyes that he truly loved her, and could always be depended on to leave very big tips.</p>
<p>As you watched her from the bar, you would often be approached by a group of living drinks, manning the alcohol and quite often taking sips for themselves. The short one, Ol’ Ethan, taking the most liberties when fixing a drink. He was almost never entrusted with this job, however. He was never subtle about the quick sips he would take out of patrons glasses when he thought they weren’t looking. This had gotten such an issue that the boss had to get involved. There was also Rumulus, who was much more responsible, fixing Ethan’s mistakes, making it very clear with his expression that he was not happy about anything Ethan did. He would rather have been having fun out in the casino, but was stuck behind the bar with a short man with a rum glass for a head who couldn't remember a drink mix to save his life. Rumulus usually put him on water duty instead, which Ethan seemed to truly excel at. Lastly, there was Ginette, who was often outside the bar. She would never tend to the patrons from the back of the bar. Instead, she was in charge of convincing patrons to get the most expensive drinks possible, most of which were over half water. She was especially popular with the men and the sapphics, both of which would often swoon over her as she gingerly sat next to them, striking up small talk. </p>
<p>While you drank, you would always be able to hear the horse race outside and 3 AM every morning. There were few windows in the casino, only one showing the outside where a large horse track was, but you could always hear when the race was going on. Not only because of the loud hoofbeats shaking the floor, but Phear Lap’s announcements were always extra loud. Some wondered if he had a megaphone, but he always explained it’s all in the vocal cords- or lack thereof, being a skeleton of course. </p>
<p>	Said loud thumping from the horse’s hooved would always set off the pair of dominoes seen setting up various games across the casino. Truly, it seemed like the littlest of things set them off. They would always end up arguing, either about some drink someone spilled that they weren’t even in charge of cleaning up, a patron actually winning a game, or even just that they could smell the stables from here- but that might just be because they were often stationed right next to the bathrooms. Both of them were known to have a temper, and argue, but most often they would team up to ruin someone’s night. Never enough to send them into a realization that they could be doing something else with their time, but enough to make them cry a bit. These moments made the job worth it for them.</p>
<p>Commonly seen making his way along the casino floor was Mangosteen, a bulky man with an 8-ball for a head, making his way through the casino, stopping to chat with most patrons. He was truly unidentifiable in his intentions, with expressions no one could read. He always seemed nice and truly interested in what people had to say, maintaining long conversations with them as they drank...but there was always something more sinister lurking beneath those eyes. Or perhaps, in his pocket, where he kept a magnet. Teaming up with Pirouletta, a graceful roulette woman, they would let the patrons win several times, building up their confidence, acting so excited for them. Then, Mangosteen would pat them on the back and bet them double or nothing. They had to let the gambler win sometimes, of course, to keep up any image of fairness. This was only rarely. Most of the time, Mangosteen would run his small magnet along the bottom of the table, controlling exactly where the roulette stopped. After the patron had lost, Mangosteen and Pirouletta would act as sympathetic they could. Once the customer had left, though, they would laugh quietly with each other.</p>
<p>Down below, near the floor, was a white rodent that no one noticed. Hocus Pocus, originally a magicians rabbit, was often soon stealing things from the casino patrons back pockets. Being small and quick, he could always get away with it, making it seem like another guest had pilfered the money that Pocus had taken. He loved to see the fights that would ensue, and then inevitable throwing out of the patrons, though they were always told they were welcome back another night. He always hated magic, so he talked with his boss and they decided this would most likely make more money anyways. So now, Pocus truly adored his job, gushing at the end of the day the fights he caused to his fellow casino staff. </p>
<p>The boss of the Devil’s Casino was, of course, The Devil himself. He did spend a lot of time in his office where all the money was kept. He kept several charts about the financial situation of the casino, all of them proudly showing the casino just making more and more money. When he did visit the patrons of the casino, he was very domineering and intimidating, especially when he would go out on the floor and bet with them. The Devil was around 6’5, meaning he could tower above anyone in the casino. This means The Devil would commonly loom over the guest and propose a completely unfair bet that the guest couldn’t possibly win. It didn’t matter, they’d always be too scared to say no to him, netting him huge wins. The staff would always compare what they made that day to each other, to add some fun to the end of the day, but everyone knew the boss would always win that too. He had never lost anything- a fight, a bet, a game-   nothing. Everyone knew this, as he often talked about it. He would go on rants about all the times he had won against some adversary. Some wondered if he was stretching the truth about some of these stories, but no one would ever say anything.</p>
<p>	Anytime he was outside his office, he would often be joined by his short husband, Reaper. Reaper was a demon as well, a short furry one with large dog ears and a curled tail. His horns were curled into a heart, implying he was a true romantic. There was no need to imply though- he would be all over his husband after he won telling him how great he was. This was done to rub it in any loser’s face about how shit they were for losing. Reaper was treated with just as much respect as they did The Devil, knowing what would happen if they didn’t. Reaper was a lot more social and friendly than his husband, often striking up conversations unrelated to the casino. Whether he was just friendlier out of obligation or out of real emotion, no one knew, but they accepted it anyways. It was always nice to have someone to shoot the shit with. When not on the casino floor with his husband, he was often found completing paperwork that his husband didn’t have time to do. All of the important things, The Devil would handle. These things always had finances involved. The Devil would never trust anyone else with the financial aspects of the casino, not even his husband or his right hand man. Reaper and Dice were often found working together when Reaper was assigned to the casino floor that day. Despite starting out their friendship as more of a rivalry, they had come to appreciate each other. If they were going to be spending the rest of eternity working this casino, they might as well. One of their favorite things to do would be to identify two struggling patrons and bet on who could convince their picked guest to spend the most money. They would never bet money that would go to the casino. No one would ever dare to do that. Instead, the loser had to do some of the more unsavory jobs. This mostly included dealing with unruly guests and removing them from the casino. Even though they bet on this, Dice never liked messing up his suit, and Reaper was only 4’10 and not very intimidating. They’d always get Vinnie and Wheezy to do it instead. The bets still made the nights more interesting though, and they loved doing them. </p>
<p>At the end of each day, Reaper could be found in the office with his husband, discussing the events of the day.<br/>
“And then, after beating him at his all night streak, this guy looked mortified! An absolutely delicious moment. It was one of the best feelings in the world. You know, my Lovely Reaper, we really should invest in a portrait artist. If I could capture those moments of horror as they realized when they lost their soul, I think it would just be delightful. We could have a whole gallery of all those unlucky souls.” The devil purred, lighting a cigar. His husband, Reaper, sat nearby, enthralled by this. He may have been seen as nicer than his husband, but Reaper loved hearing about the suffering guests as much as any demon would.<br/>
“Oh, that would be wonderful. I'm sure the gallery would get filled up very fast- we could always be adding on. Reaper said, leaning into his husband’s fluffy chest. “I think that we should be the only ones allowed in. Im sure you can guess why.” The purple demon said, looking smugly up at The Devil. </p>
<p>	“Of course I was thinking the same thing, love. Though we’d have to let someone else in to clean up after.” The Devil said back, laughing. </p>
<p>	They were very adamant about their public displays of affection, often seen holding hands or saying sweet nothings to each other. To kiss, the Devil would always have to pick the much smaller demon up. They had their limits in public, of course, leaving that interaction to just a kiss. Though everyone was terrified of the Devil, they couldn't help but admit that his romance with Reaper was very admirable. They truly loved being close to each other. Reaper would often be found sitting on his husband's lap as The Devil did desk work. Reaper may have been fluffy, but he made sure everyone know that his husband’s fur was even softer. He would go off about other things he loved about The Devil as well, often getting lost in a long ramble.</p>
<p>	They had only moved to this island about 70 years ago, with the Casino only being built 30 years after that. When they would get someplace new, they always took a bit to scope out the area, getting to know the residents and what they truly desired. This island was especially dry of irresponsible, fun things to do, so that is what the demon couple had provided. The imps did all of the hard work, with Reaper being assigned the co owner, much to King Dice’s dismay. The Devil and King Dice had been working together a long time, but The Devil’s true love always came before any partnership. As consolation, King Dice was offered the position of ‘Right Hand Man’, which he accepted very quickly. </p>
<p>	While Dice had an apartment in the city, The Devil owned a very large house in Hell. Being the ruler of Hell, he could have whatever he wanted. Him and Reaper lived very well because of this. With the imps doing things like c hores, the two had a lot of time to spend together. They were often found taking romantic walks by the river styx, stopping to steal a kiss from each other as the riverboat of damned souls passed by. They also enjoyed taking dance classes, which was a common hobby in Hell. The only beings truly suffering in Hell were the damned souls- the demons all lived a pretty normal life. There was a large center of Hell, with books by mortals often describing it was evil, reprehensible, sinful. All the stories were right. In the center of Hell was a commercialized shopping district, rife with rip-offs and pressuring. The demons loved the evils of capitalism, enjoying nice days out spending all they could. Near the back of this center was a dance studio. The instructor had been nervous the day The Devil himself walked in, demanding to be signed up for a tango course with his husband. The first few days, the Devil would get absolutely enraged when told he was doing something right, but Reaper would always tell him “That’s literally the only way we’re going to learn, Devi. Calm down. The instructor wouldn’t tell anyone about this- and if he did, you know we’d send him to the soul shredder immediately. Right?” At the end of saying that, the instructor would nod quickly. </p>
<p>	They had learned a lot from these classes. They had never danced with each other in public, save for their wedding re-dos. Their original wedding was thousands of years ago, and they still remembered it like it was yesterday, often telling people about it. Enjoying it so much, they decided that every thousand years they would re-new their vows with a wedding do-over. These were always the partys to be at- and the main place they’d show off the dance they had been working on that millennium. Their favorite place to slow dance was in their living room with the radio turned all the way up. It was very intimate. Though they lived a very fast life together, it was the quiet moments they enjoyed the most.</p>
<p>	One of the best things about their marriage was the knowledge that neither of them would ever sleep alone again. They wouldn’t always cuddle, but just the knowledge that they were together at the most vulnerable time was something truly special. The last thing they would say to each other east night would be the words, “I love you.” </p>
<p>The next morning was the same, as they prepared to do everything again. Not that they minded of course, as long as it was together.</p>
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